percolation

American  

[pur-kuh-ley-shuhn] / ˌpɜr kəˈleɪ ʃən /

noun

1. the act or state of percolating or of being percolated.

2. Pharmacology. the extraction of the soluble principles of a crude drug by the passage of a suitable liquid through it.

3. Geology. the slow movement of water through the pores in soil or permeable rock.

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Etymology

Origin of percolation

First recorded in 1605–15, percolation is from the Latin word percōlātiōn- (stem of percōlātiō ). See percolate, -ion

Explanation

Percolation is the process of a liquid slowly passing through a filter. It's how coffee is usually made. Percolation comes from the Latin word percolare, which means "to strain through." Percolation happens when liquid is strained through a filter, like when someone makes coffee. Drinking coffee can make you feel perky! Perky comes from the word percolate, too, describing something that bubbles over. Percolation (a noun) is what happens when anything percolates. It’s usually coffee, but chemists use percolation for all kinds of experiments.

Example Sentences

Percolation is the movement of water through the pores in the soil or rocks.

From Textbooks • Jun. 9, 2022

Percolation theory provides insight into all these transitions.

From Scientific American • Mar. 16, 2021

Percolation theory also illuminates physical and chemical processes on a much smaller scale, such as polymerization, the process by which small, simple molecules called monomers bind together to form larger clusters called polymers.

From Scientific American • Mar. 16, 2021

Percolation theory is concerned with the connectivity of the network, which corresponds to how large the open clusters are.

From Scientific American • Mar. 16, 2021

Percolation means dripping through fine apertures in china or metal as in De Belloy's French drip pot.

From All About Coffee by Ukers, William H. (William Harrison)

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